Game apparatus.



H. C. TWIBELL.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FlLED JAN. 16. 1915.

1,157,913. Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

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COLUMBIA I'LANOGRAI'II CU.,\VI\SHINGTDN. n, C

H. C. TWIBELL.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.'I6. 1915.

1,157,918., Patented (m. 26, 1915.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu, WASHINGTON, n. c.

lr FlW t HARRY o. TWIBELL, or BnooKLYn, NEW YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 26, 1915.

Application filed January 16; 1915. Serial No. 2,646.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. TWIBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which thefollowingisa specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus and consists in the novelfeatures hereinafter described and claimed.

The present invention is an improved one over the apparatus shown in myprior application for patent filed December 3, 1918, Serial No. 809,673.

Like my former, apparatus the present ap paratus is designed to be usedfor playing a game depicting or executing the plays usually made in thecommon game of base ball.

One object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter stated which when used by opponents playing the game willrequire the exercise of considerable judgment and skill upon the part ofthe opponents to overcome one or the other and win the game.

vl/ith these objects in view the board of the apparatus is laid olf inthe usual form of a ball field with bases and runner paths indicatedthereon. Blocks are positioned upon the said board and serve torepresent the in and out holders and these blocks are provided withpockets in which the ball may lodge when it is driven over the field.

A ball pitching device is mounted upon the board and it includes a balldirecting run-way'pivotally mounted and means for turning the run-way.The run-way isv concealed from view by an arched shield and means isprovided for striking the ball when in the run-way to cause the ball tomove along the same and fly over the board toward the home plate. isalso mounted upon the board and carries a bat which when said device isoperated may strike the ball if the proper judgment and skill is used onthe part of the player operating the device. Means is provided wherebythe said players may shift the bat verticallv during the operation ofthe batting device and thus cause the bat to strike a high or low ball.A target device is located behind the batting device and car ries atarget member which if struck by the ball when pitched and upon therefusal of A batting device the bat to strike at the ball indicates astrike. The usual rules of the game of baseball may be applied orfollowed as the apparatus is used for portraying the game and when theplayer who operates the batting device is I put out according to theusual rules of baseball he assumes the operation of the pitch ingdevice. The player who previously operated the pitching device assumesthe operation of the batting device. Means is provided upon the boardfor keeping count of the score, the number of balls and strikes andput-outsmade. The board is further provided with means for determiningthe magnitude of a hit whether it be a single, double or triple orhome-run and therefore the batting average of a player may be determinedand maintained.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the boardof the game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the target device.Fig. 3 is a plan View of the ball pitching device. Fig. 4 is a similarView of the ball batting device. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the ballpitching device cut on the line 5-5. of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a similar viewof the ball batting device cut on the line 6..6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is adetail view ofan end portion of the shaft used for projecting the ballfrom the device. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a piece used in thecapacity of a base runner during the progress of the game.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings the game apparatus comprisesa board including an upper plane member 1 and a bottom 2 havingupstanding flanges 3 bounding the edges thereof. The edges of the planemember 1 except that edge adjacent the battingdevice (hereinafter to bedescribed) are spaced from the inner surfaces of the flanges 3 and theunder surface of. the said, plane member is spaced from the uppersurface of the bottom 2 as best indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 of thedrawings.

Pockets. 4: arev provided at the near or forward edge of the board andpartitions 5 extend from the sides of the said pockets 4: to the flanges3 beyond the edges of the plane member 1 as most clearly indicated bydotted lines at the right of Fig. 1 and the said flanges serve as meansfor directing the ball (hereinafter referred to) into the pockets 1-when the ball passes over the plane member 1 and beyond the edgesthereof and fallsinto the space between any two of the adjacentpartitions 5. The pockets 4: are provided with score numbers orcharacters 6 which may be used to indicate the value of the hit madewhen the ball enters the respective pockets; for instance a single isvalued at 18, a double at 28 and a triple at 38; Home-run is indicatedby the characters I H. R. and a foul ball is indicated by the word Foulin the pockets 4 which receives the ball from the plane member 1 whenthe ball falls from the edge thereof outside the foul line. By thisarrangement it is apparent that a batting score or average may bemaintained and the valuation of each I player determined. The planemember 1 is provided in the vicinity of its near or forward edge withopenings 7 under which are turnably mounted disks 8 carrying suitablenumbers which may be observed through the opening 7 when these numbersare brought within the same. These disks may be employed for the purposeof keepingthe score, keeping a record of the number of balls and strikespitches and indicating the number of put-outs made in any one inning.

the blocks 10 positionednear first and third bases are provided with twopockets and consequently if the ball should strike a pocket at one sideof the plane member 1 and rebound to the other side thereof it may lodgein one of the pockets of the block positioned adjacent first andthirdbases. If the ball lodges in any pocket of any block it indicatesthat the batter is out. If the ball is struck by the batting device andgoes beyond the edge of the plane member 1 and eventually enters thepockets 4: which represents a single hit the piece 12 or similar pieceshown in Fig. 8 is placed upon first base of the diamond to indicatethat the said base is occupied by a runner. If the batting devicestrikes a ball and causes the same to enter the pocket which isindicative of a double bagger the piece is positioned on second base.Likewise if the ball enters the pocket 4 indicative of a triple thepiece is placed on third base and if the ball enters the pocketindicative of home-run the disk 8 is operated under the opening 7 toshow that one run has been made in the'inning. If pieces are upon thebases and single or double hits are made the said pieces are advancedalong the bases in their regular order in the event that a batter isgiven. first base or takes any base as the result of a hit.

The batting device includes the following elementsar-k shaft 13 isjournaled in the flanges 3 of the board and extend transversely underthe plane member 1. The end portions of the said shaft project beyondthe outer sides of the said flanges and are provided with pins is: whichmay be used for turning the shaft. The shaft 13 is provided withalternately disposed intermediate portion 15 which at times is adaptedto encounter stops 16 (see Fig. 3) upon the bottom 2 of the board. Theshaft 13 is journalcd in bearings 17 see Fig. 3 also mounted upon thebottom of the board and one end of a spring 18 is connected with theportion 15. The other end thereof is connected with the bottom 2 of thesaid board. The spring 18 is under tension with a tendency to normallyhold the portion 15 of the shaft 13 in contact with the steps 10 as bestshown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The portion 15 is provided at a pointap proximately midway between its enrs with an upwardly disposedextension 19 which carries at its forward face a pin best shown in Figs.3 and 5 of the drawings. A plate 21 is pivotally connected by means of apin 22 (see Fig. 5) to the bottom 2 of the board and a block 23 ismounted upon the said plate 21. Handles are connected at their innerends with the plate 21 and the outer ends of the said handles projectbeyond the outer surfaces of the side flanges 3 of the board. The block23 is provided at its upper side with a groove or runway 25 having aninclined bottom 26 best shown in I 5 of the drawing. An are shapedshield 27 is mounted upon the plane member 1 and is located over theblock 23 and conceals the same from view. The shield 2'? is provided atits upper portion with an opening 28 through which a ball 29 may dropinto the groove 25 of the block 23. Means is provided at that end atwhich the lower portion of the bottom 26 of the groove 25 telminateswith a barrier 30 which extends transversely across the groove and isspaced from the bottom 26. After the ball 29 has been dropped into thegroove 25 through the openin 28 it runs down along the inclined bottom26 of the groove and lodges against the forward portion of the barrierand immediately in advance of the pin 20 as best shown in Fig. 5 of thedrawing.

The mechanism just described constitutes the pitching or ball deliveringdevice of the apparatus and it is apparent that when the shaft 13 isturned so that the pin 20 is moved away from the ball 29 the spring 18is stretched and when the said shaft is released the tension of saidspring comes into play whereby the pin 20 is moved swiftly toward theball 29 and strikes the same and projects the said ball along the groove25 and out over the plane member 1 toward the batting device to beexplained hereinafter. The ballistic curve described by the ball in itsflight from the pitching device to the batting device depends upon thestrength of the spring 13 and the extent to which the said spring isstretched or elongated during the turning movement of the shaft 13consequently the ball 29 may be causedto roll over the surface of theplane member 1 dur the major portion of its travel toward the battingdevice or made to pass by the batting device above the upper surface ofthe plane member 1.. At the same time the handle 2% may be moved wherebythe plate 21 and block 23 are turned and thus the ball may be directedrelatively close to the batting device or may pass by the batting devicein a line comparatively remote from the same.-

@rdinarily the pin 20 will strike theball 29 at what is generally knownin similar game apparatus as the center of the ball. A ball so struckwill move in a straight line or direction from the ball deliveringdevice to the batting device. When, however, the ball 29 is struck atone side or the other of the center thereof by the pin 20, which willoccur after the block 23 has been turned, the ball will move in a curvedpath over the plane member 1 in a manner similar to the movement of abilliard hall upon a table, when what is termed as English has beenimparted to the propelling stroke. fore it is essential to concealtheblock 23 from view in order that a batter may not observe themovement of the same and forestall the probable course of the ball overthe plane member 1.

As seen in Fig. 1 of the drawing that part of the diamond 9 at which thesecond base is located is indicated upon the upper sur face of the archshield 27. Consequently when a player arrives atthe said base the piece12 is placed on top of the shield 27. In asmuch as the said shield iscurved and arch shaped the ball when knocked by the batting device maystrike the end or side of any of the blocks 10 and rebound or roll overthe shield 2'? to the opposite side portion of the board. The pathswhich may be followed by the ball are indicated by dotted lines in Fig.1 of the drawings I The batting device comprises a shaft 31 which isjournaled in vertical position in the plane member 1 and bottom 2 of theboard as best shown in Fig. 6, the upper portion of the said shaftprojecting above the upper surface of the plane member 1. The shaft 31is provided at its upper end portion and above the upper surface of theplane member 1 with a laterally disposed bat 32 which is fixed withrelation to the said shaft 31.

There- An arm 33 is fixed to the intermediate portion of the shaft 31and is disposed between the bottom 2 and the plane member 1 of the boardand spaced from the said part as shown in Fig. 6. A spring 3a isconnected at one end with one end of the arm 33 and at its other endwith a fixedv part of the board and is under tension with a tendency todraw that end portion of the arm 33 with which it is connected towardthe point where said spring is connected with the board. A hook 35 ispivotally connected with the bottom 2 of the board and adapted to engagehat end of the arm 33 opposite the end thereof to which the spring3 1 isconnected. A stop 36 (best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing) is attachedto the bottom 2 of the board and is located in the path of movement ofone end portion of the hook 355. A spring 3? is connected at one endwith the bottom 2 and at its other end with the adjacent end portion ofthe hook 35 and is under tension with a tendency to draw the adjacentend portion of the hook 35 toward the stop 36. A cord or other flexibleelement 38 is connected at an intermediate portion with the opposite endof the hoor: and one end of the said cord 38 projects beyond the boardat one side thereof and is provided with a ring39 which may be used formoving the said cord 38 longitudinally. From the point of connectionwith the end of the hook the other end of the cord 33 is trained arounda pulley 1-0 (see Fig. 1-) suitably attached to the bottom 2 ofthe'board and from the said pulley the cord 38 is extended to theopposite side of the board and is provided with a ring tl similar to thering 39 which also may be used for moving the cord 38 longitudinally. Astrip 412 is hingedly connected with the bottom 2 of the board and thelower end of the shaft 31 rests upon the intermediate portion of thesaid strip. The free end portion of the strip 42 projects beyond thatedge of the board at which the pockets 4 are located as best indicatedin Fig. 1 of the drawings.

1 rom the above description it will be seen that by grasping theprojecting end portion of the strip 412 and raising orlowering the samethe shaft 31 may be raised or lowered in its bearings in the planemember 1 and bottom 2 of the board consequently the bat 32 may bepositioned at any desired height above the upper surface of the planemember 1. When the parts of the batting device are in the position shownin Fig. 4: of the drawing the hook 35 is in engagement with one end ofthe arm 33 and the bat 32 is held at that side of the shaft 31 which isaway from the pitching device. When the ball is pitched from thepitching device the player who manipulates the batting device pulls thecord 38 by using either the ring 34.- or 411 and consequently theengaging end of the hook 335 is moved awayi rom the arm 33 and'home'plate of the diamond 9.

the said arm is released. The tension of the spring 34L then comes intoplay and the bat 32 is swung in an arc and assumes position transverselyof the path of the ball and Strikes or misses the ball according to thejudgment and skill of the player who manipulates the batting device.

A target device is located behind the bat ting device and comprises aframe 43 mounted upon the plane member 1 in a position as shown in Fig.lot the drawings. A target 44 is hingedly mounted upon the frame 43 andis preferably in the form of a thin metallicplate. The said target 4A islocated in a line with the line of movement of a fair ball from thepitching device across the Therefore when a fair ball is delivered fromthe pitch ing device and passes over the home plate it will strike thetarget 44 in the event that the batting device is not operated so as tocause the bat S2 to strike the ball and drive the same out into thefield. Should the ball be delivered from the pitching device andstrikethe target 44 without the player manipulating the batting deviceto strike at the same this counts as a strike against the player who isoperating the batting device. II" the ball is delivered from thepitching I device and arrivesat the target device with out striking thetarget 44 and in the event I that the batter does not strike at the ballthis counts as a ball against. the player manipulating the pitchingdevice. Therefore it will be seen that a game apparatus is provided inwhich the parts are so mounted and operated as to require the exerciseof Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing considerable judgment and skill upon the part of the twoopposing players using the apparatus. Furthermore the device may be usedfor demonstrating the diiierent plays possible to be made on a. baseballfield and the apparatus may be made to show and keep an account of thescore, the number of balls and strikes, the number of put-outs and therelative batting average or excellence of the players.

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. A game apparatuscomprising a board, a ball directing means movably mounted on the board,means for moving the ball directing means, means for impelling a ballalong the directing means and a shield mounted upon the board andconcealing the movement of the ball directing means.

2. Agame apparatus comprising a board, means for impelling a ball overthe board, and a concealed ball directing means movably mounted withrelation to the ball impelling means.

3. A game apparatus comprising a board, a block having a runway providedwith an inclined bottom, a barrier disposed across the end of the runwayand spaced from the lower end of the bottom thereof and means forstriking the ball while in the runway to impel the same over the board.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY G. TWIBELL.

Witnesses:

Gno. A. BYRNE, JOHN A. DONEGAL.

the Commissioner of Patent-1.

Washington, D. C.

